I have been plant based now for nearly six months, that’s crazy to think, but it’s one of the most positive experiences of 2020 for me. I can say it’s one of the reasons I’ll look back on this year fondly despite it not being easy, but definitely a year in which I stepped outside of my comfort zone and grew! I never knew I could be or even wanted to be plant based yet here I am loving it, down 31lbs and writing plant-based blog recipes. Who am I?!
Anywho, when I went plant-based I basically thought my days of cheese were behind me. And let me be real, some vegan cheeses are just weird. So in a way I’d just come to terms with not having cheese, which was cool all summer.
I didn’t miss it, not with bountiful hauls weekly from the farmer’s market, but as the weather turned cooler I was craving comfort foods on occasion like mac & cheese. So could I really make a cheese sauce without butter, dairy or cheese that actually tasted like cheese sauce and not some gross or weird substitute? No, I wanted legit mac & cheese and I’m here to tell you, I’ve created it. In fact, not only do I think it’s the bees knee’s, but my fam ate it too and said they’re fine never having real mac & cheese again because this is “so good” and “so cheesy!” My family is not gluten-free nor are they plant-based (sometimes, not all the time), so there you have it. An honest review from those still eating cheese.
Ingredients:
-1pkg Banza elbow macaroni noodles
For the cheese sauce:
-1c vegetable broth
-1/2c oat milk, or milk of choice
-1c Daiya mozzarella cheese
-1tsp miyokos vegan butter
-1tsp tumeric
-1/4tsp garlic powder
-1/4tsp arrowroot powder
-sea salt, to taste
Directions:
- Cook Banza noodles according to instructions, set aside
- For cheese sauce combine broth, milk, daiya cheese & vegan butter, plus tumeric & garlic powder in a sauce pan.
- Bring to a low bubble and continuously stir until cheese is melted or mostly melted (you know what I mean if you’ve worked with vegan cheese before, it does not melt the same as regular cheese)
- Add in arrowroot powder to thicken sauce mixture. Continue stirring. If you like your “cheese” sauce thicker, add a pinch more arrowroot powder. Add sea salt to taste.
- Once sauce is complete add it to your cooked banza noodles. Stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish. You may even choose to top it with rice breadcrumbs for a fun twist.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to just lightly brown the top.
- Serve warm!
If you try this recipe I’d love to know what you think, so make sure to leave me a comment.